Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yellow Yoelmira’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yellow Yoelmira’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; excellent plant strength; small, durable, glossy, dark green leaves; very freely branching habit; uniform flowering response; early flowering, eight-week response time; floriferousness; small decorative-type inflorescences that are about 3 cm in diameter; yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for at least three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Yellow Yoelmira.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a mutation induction breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective ofthe program is to create new Chrysanthemum cultivars with desirableinflorescence form and floret colors and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of aproprietary seedling selection identified as YB-5908, to X-ray radiationin September, 1997, in Fort Myers, Fla. Following the radiationtreatment, the cuttings were rooted and terminal apices were removed(pinched) three times to promote lateral branch development. Afterlateral branches from the third pinch reached sufficient size, terminalcuttings were harvested, planted and flowered in a controlledenvironment in Fort Myers, Fla. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within thispopulation in March, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on itsdesirable inflorescence form and ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in May, 1998. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yellow Yoelmira has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yellow Yoelmira’. Thesecharactereristics in combination distinguish ‘Yellow Yoelmira’ as a newand distinct Chrysanthemum:

1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly moundedplant habit.

2. Small, durable, glossy, dark green leaves.

3. Very freely branching, dense and full plants.

4. Excellent plant strength.

5. Uniform flowering response.

6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.

7. Very freely flowering.

8. Small decorative-type inflorescences that are about 3 cm in diameter.

9. Yellow-colored ray florets.

10. Can be grown as a natural spray-type.

11. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining goodsubstance and color for at least three weeks in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the parent selection and theChrysanthemum cultivars Yoelmira (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.09/594,757) and Frosted Yoelmira (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.09/594,758) (both filed concurrently with this application) primarily inray floret color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the Chrysanthemumcultivar Kory, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,949, in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more freely branching than plantsof the cultivar Kory.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller leaves andinflorescences than plants of the cultivar Kory.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more floriferous than plants ofthe cultivar Kory.

4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about five or six days earlierthan plants of the cultivar Kory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which more accurately describe the actual colorsof the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a top perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Yellow Yoelmira’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the Spring inSalinas, Calif. and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commercial pottedChrysanthemum production. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck ina 15-cm container and pinched once. Plants used for this descriptionwere grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar YellowYoelmira.

Commercial classification: Decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Induced mutation of proprietary Chrysanthemum seedlingselection identified as YB-5908.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum which can begrown as a natural spray-type. Compact; inverted triangle; stems mostlyupright and somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly moundedappearance to the plant. Very freely branching, about five lateralbranches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense andfull plants. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 22 cm.

Plant width.—About 29 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Internodelength: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Very strong, flexible. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 4.9 cm.Width: About 3.9 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate. Base: Attenuate totruncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes mostlydivergent. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces with very fine pubescence;veins prominent on lower surface. Color: Young foliage upper surface:Darker than 147A; slightly glossy. Young foliage lower surface: 147B.Mature foliage upper surface: Slightly darker than 147A; glossy. Maturefoliage lower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147A to 147B.Venation lower surface: 147B. Petiole length: About 2.2 cm. Petiolediameter: About 2 mm. Petiole color: 147A to 147B. Durability of foliageto stresses: Very good; strong and durable plants.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongatedoblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals abovefoliage. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Notfragrant.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower abouteight weeks later; early flowering.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for at least three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescenses.—Typically grown as a spray-type; Very freelyflowering with about nine inflorescences per lateral stem, about 45inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5.5 mm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Color:Darker than 143A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height): About 1.75 cm.Diameter of disc: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong. Orientation: Mostly upright, about50° from perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Straight and flat. Length:About 2 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Apex: Rounded, emarginate, mammilate ordentate. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture:Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About70; about 6 rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: Yellow, brighterthan 5A. When opening, lower surface: Yellow, close to 5A to 5B. Fullyopened, upper surface: Yellow, brighter than to 5A to 6A. Fully opened,lower surface: Yellow, close to 5B to 5C.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 5 mm. Width: Apex, about 1.5 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number of discflorets per inflorescence: Less than 20. Color: Immature: 144A. Mature:Apex: 5A to 7A. Mid-section and base: White, 155D.

Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 2.3 cm. Fourth peduncle: About4.7 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle tovertical: About 40 to 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong, wiry,flexible. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 9A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 12A. Gynoecium: Presenton both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Chrysanthemum hasnot been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Yellow Yoelmira’, as illustrated and described.